Vignette Four -Gypsy Woes
by jellybean49
Summary: Jack and Elizabeth are still happily in love, but do they hold their future in their own hands or does an old woman know more than them?
1. Chapter 1

Dear readers, this is my fourth story with Jack and Elizabeth. As always, you don't need to have read the other Vignettes to enjoy this one, but there is a little carry-over. Enjoy!

 **Vignette Four – Gypsy Woes**

 **Chapter 1**

Elizabeth finished her eggs and looked out the Café window as the fog began to lift from the low valley. It had been a chilly night, but it looked like she was going to get a sunny spring day.

After the long winter, it wasn't just her students who were getting restless. Elizabeth found herself eagerly looking forward to the upcoming spring break from teaching. _It can't come soon enough_ , she thought.

"Daydreaming again?" Abigail asked as she walked by Elizabeth's table.

"Oh, I didn't realize it was so late. I better hurry. I want to make sure I have a glass of vodka when I get to school", Elizabeth said as she put down her cup of tea and hurriedly put on her coat.

"I'll see you later, Abigail. Thanks for breakfast", Elizabeth added, oblivious to the glances some Café customers were now giving her.

As Elizabeth raced out the door, Abigail shook her head and raised her eyebrows. Elizabeth was certainly the most unique teacher she had ever met.

After school let out for the afternoon, Elizabeth went straight to the jail.

"Jack, I want to file a complaint", she said in a frustrated voice. "Someone drank my vodka again!"

Jack smiled as he looked up from his desk. "That's the fifth time, Elizabeth. Maybe you should try a different science experiment. One that doesn't involve leaving a glass of vodka outside on the school window ledge at night."

"Jack, I need vodka! "

Jack chuckled. "I wouldn't say that so loudly. We don't want to get the townspeople talking."

"I'm serious, Jack. It won't be enough just to have a glass of water and a glass of salt water. I wanted to have three liquids with different freezing points."

"I know, Elizabeth. But you have to realize that you're tempting some logger by leaving it out there night after night."

"Well, it won't be cold enough much longer at night so I now have to come up with a different science experiment," she said with exasperation.

"I don't know why anyone would want to drink vodka anyway", she muttered.

Jack smiled at her innocence. He knew plenty of men who would love a glass of vodka after a long day.

"How about I buy you a root beer over at the saloon? I want to talk to you about something anyway. Just give me five minutes to finish up this paperwork."

As Jack finished his work, Elizabeth wandered aimlessly around the jail. She smiled when she saw the sketch which Jack had drawn of the two of them, almost identical to the one he had given to her. She gently ran a finger along the penciled lines of his handsome face.

She looked from the drawing to the real version of him sitting at his desk, intently filling out his paperwork. Sometimes she felt like pinching herself just to make sure it wasn't just a dream; he was really hers.

She picked up his sketchpad and flipped through it. She loved looking through his sketches, seeing his landscapes, the buildings in the town, and of course, his drawings of her. A few of the drawings were of the two of them, but most were of just her.

As she put the sketchpad down, Elizabeth fingered the quilt on Jack's cot. _Hmm,_ she found herself blushing at the thought of him lying there at night.

"I'll just be another minute" Jack said, interrupting her from her daydreams.

"I'm fine. Take your time." Elizabeth said quickly moving away from his sleeping area before her mind strayed too far into topics that weren't appropriate for an unmarried lady.

Staring at the Wanted posters on the bulletin board, she realized that Jack was just as good, if not, better than the artist who made those.

 _Why the artist has made that man_ _have such tiny beady eyes. If Jack ever drew me with those eyes, I'd give him back his engagement ring! ,_ she thought to herself.

"All finished. You're not thinking of ending our engagement to court one of these men, are you?"Jack teased as he came up behind her and put his arms around her waist.

"Goodness, no. That man with the mole has beady eyes. I prefer a fiancé with dimples", she teased as she turned around for a kiss.

"I was hoping the fact that they are dangerous criminals would also be a deterrent", Jack said amusingly as he raised his eyebrows at her.

"Oh, they don't look so dangerous. I could handle them. After all, I've handled Mr. Spurlock and the Tolliver gang, " she said, feeling very proud of herself.

"I believe I rescued you on both occasions", Jack reminded her.

"If you hadn't arrived when you did, I would have handled it just fine", Elizabeth retorted.

"How? By giving them a classroom lecture and boring them to sleep?"

"Jack Thornton!", she exclaimed with her hands on her hips.

"Come on, Mountie Elizabeth, let's get you that root beer."

Over drinks, Jack explained that he was applying for an intensive Mountie course. It would be five weeks of advanced training, with time spent in Hamilton, Cape Fullerton, and also wilderness portions of Ontario. If he were accepted and did well in the course, it would mean almost certain advancement and promotion.

"Jack, that sounds fantastic. Spring break will be here soon and I can go to Hamilton with you," Elizabeth clapped her hands in joy.

Jack looked at her with apprehension. He wasn't looking forward to her spending time with her family. If it weren't for the training, he would hate the idea of a trip to Hamilton. Before he could say anything, Elizabeth recognized his look.

"Don't worry, Jack. I'm sure my family will be on their best behavior. I promise!"

"It's okay, Elizabeth. Actually, I won't be able to see much of you or them. This course is pretty intensive. I'm not sure I'll even be accepted. It's pretty competitive just to get admitted."

Two weeks later, Elizabeth stopped by the jail to visit Jack before dinner. Seeing him busy working at his desk, she playfully grabbed his paperwork and demanded some attention.

Jack chased her around the room, finally catching her in one of the jail cell, where he grabbed her by the waist, pulling her to his body. Her giggles stopped and she caught her breath when she saw the look of desire on his face. Without a word, his mouth parted hers. His hands roamed along her back, loosening her blouse. Elizabeth eagerly returned his kisses; she dropped the papers to the floor, and ran her fingers through his short hair, keeping him close.

As Jack's mouth moved on her body, she leaned against the cell bars. Tilting her head back, she exposed her neck to his kisses. When his lips lightly touched the soft white space between her breasts left uncovered by the V neck of her blouse, she sighed in pleasure.

He smiled at her response, and reclaimed her lips with his.

"We've got to stop", she said, breathing heavily.

"We will, in a few minutes", Jack murmured as he continued his kisses. His hands moved along her hips pressing her to him. His mouth was warm and inviting.

Elizabeth found herself wrapping one of her legs against Jack's. Her hands untucked his shirt, and her fingers roamed up this back.

Her heart was pounding so hard, Elizabeth could swear it sounded like heavy footsteps on a wooden floor.

"AHEM, I'll just leave this telegram for you on your desk, Constable", Mr. Yost said quickly as he moved towards the desk.

They jumped apart at the sound of the voice. _Oh my goodness, those were footsteps I heard!_

Keeping her back towards Mr. Yost, a flustered Elizabeth fixed her clothes. Jack shoved his own shirt into his pants and ran a hand through his disheveled hair as he left the cell and walked towards his desk.

"Thank you, Ned", he managed to say in calm professional voice.

Ned Yost looked embarrassed to have once again caught the couple in an intimate embrace. He quickly placed the telegram on the desk and excused himself.

"Sorry about that", Jack said to Elizabeth. "You have a certain effect on me."

Elizabeth didn't say anything but quickly gathered Jack's paperwork from the cell floor, pushing her own disheveled hair out of her eyes. She certainly knew the effect he had on her.

Jack read the telegram and smiled broadly.

"I've been accepted for the training! We're going to Hamilton in two weeks."

The next few weeks went by in a whirlwind. Elizabeth kept busy with finishing her teaching lessons before the spring break, and Jack spent the time on rounds, and introducing his temporary replacement to the job. Before they knew it, Jack and Elizabeth were settled in Hamilton.

"Wake up!" Julie said as she pulled on a sleeping Elizabeth's bed covers.

Elizabeth had been home for over a week. While she hadn't seen much of Jack during that time, Elizabeth had been kept busy by Julie, who was thrilled to have her favorite sister home.

"You promised to go to the local market with me today. And the best time to go is early in the morning."

"Julie, it's barely light outside!" Elizabeth protested.

"Come on, sister. It's an adventure! I'll meet you downstairs in 20 minutes", Julie said as she threw some clothes onto Elizabeth's bed.

The market on Queen Street stretched for several blocks. Stalls and tables lined the street with vendors hawking their wares. Crowds of people moved from table to table, greeting each other with "good morning" and haggling over prices. The smells of fish, coffee, roasting nuts, everything one could imagine, permeated the air. Elizabeth had to admit that Julie was right; it was an adventure.

Elizabeth's basket was soon filled with cigars for her father, lavender sachets for herself, and spices for Abigail.

Elizabeth was looking at an array of mittens for sale, when Julie suddenly grabbed her arm and dragged to her to gypsy lady who sharpened kitchen knives and scissors on a stone wheel. Julie had discovered that the old woman told fortunes, and would be willing to read their palms for the price of sharpening a pair of scissors. Elizabeth scoffed at the idea, but Julie was excitedly insistent.

"It will be fun!"

"Julie, it's just nonsense."

"Then you have nothing to worry about!" Julie said as she grabbed Elizabeth's arm with one hand and thrust her other hand at the woman.

Ten minutes later, Elizabeth tried to put the woman's words about her future out of her mind. _It's just nonsense_ she told herself _. But still . . ._ . _The woman had seemed to know so much._

The whole experience had been odd. The old woman had held Julie's palm, running her wrinkled finger lightly on her skin. After less than a minute, she had announced in a bored voice that Julie would have a long future of adventure and romance, which had pleased Julie immensely.

 _Julie didn't have to pay to be told that. I could have told her that for free,_ Elizabeth thought.

"It's your turn now, Elizabeth", Julie had said as she eagerly nudged Elizabeth forward.

Not wanting to insult the woman or argue with Julie, Elizabeth had impatiently held out her hand and allowed the woman to take it. _This whole thing will take 30 seconds and we can be on our way,_ Elizabeth had thought.

The old woman frowned when she looked at Elizabeth's hand. She dropped the hand with a curious look at Elizabeth, and then told her that she would be better with her cards. Herding Julie and Elizabeth inside her caravan wagon, the gypsy led Elizabeth to a small table.

Julie gasped at the brightly painted interior of the wagon, and Elizabeth's eyes grew wide when she saw the curved ceiling, the built-in seats, and the small cast-iron cooking stove and chimney. _Why there's even a china cabinet in here!_

As the gypsy turned over card after card of the oddest deck Elizabeth had ever seen, she began talking. The old woman told Elizabeth that she saw many books and groups of young people in Elizabeth's future. _She could say that to anyone_ ; _it doesn't mean that she can tell I'm a teacher,_ Elizabeth thought dismissively.

But then, the gypsy mentioned seeing sketches, lots and lots of pencil drawings. _Why, that must be Jack's sketches!,_ Elizabeth thought. When the woman mentioned seeing a young man with dark hair, Elizabeth kept quiet, but immediately thought of Jack.

"She must be seeing the drawing of you and Jack", Julie whispered to Elizabeth.

Elizabeth got goose bumps and Julie grabbed Elizabeth's arm in shock when the old woman mentioned seeing red clothing.

"It's his red serge jacket!", Julie exclaimed.

As she turned over another card, the woman paused for a moment before speaking gravely.

"The man in the drawing, . . he'll run away and leave you, he will", the woman said looking at Elizabeth.

Elizabeth sat there stunned.

"But, he'll come back to her, right?" Julie prodded the gypsy.

"No, he won't. He'll end up in someone else's arms."

"You must be wrong. Look at the cards again!", Julie insisted.

"I don't need to look at the cards again, young lady. The man in the drawing will leave your sister for good. She will have money, lots and lots of money, but not the man."

The woman gathered up her deck of cards, and held out her hand for payment.

"Elizabeth, you were right. It's just nonsense. Jack is not going to leave you! Now let's go look at some mittens," Julie said as they climbed down from the wagon and stood in the street.

As Elizabeth left the wagon, she couldn't help worrying that there might be some truth to the odd deck of cards.

Meanwhile, across town, Jack had a small break from training, and for the first time in days was able to run some errands. He lingered at the department store counter staring at the array of choices. Finally choosing an item, he spoke to the saleslady and left his name. She assured him that the item would be ready for pick-up by the next day.

As Jack left the store, he never noticed the man who had been quietly watching him.

Charles couldn't believe his luck when he saw Jack and overhead his conversation with the saleslady. Charles wondered if maybe there was hope for a relationship with Elizabeth after all. Glancing at his watch, Charles realized he didn't have time to see her today before his afternoon meetings. He could wait until tomorrow.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – The other woman

The next day, Elizabeth looked in the mirror one last time before heading downstairs. Jack had promised to stop by for a little while after the day's training classes, and before he had be to back for a mandatory dinner. He had been so busy with training that they hadn't had a lot of time together, and she was looking forward to seeing him, even if just for thirty minutes.

As she went down the staircase, she was surprised to see Charles and Viola coming into the foyer.

"Charles, I didn't know you were here," Elizabeth said formally. She hadn't spoken to him since their last heated meeting in Hope Valley, and she preferred to keep it that way.

"Elizabeth", Charles greeted her with nervous anticipation.

"Elizabeth, we need to talk. Charles and I have some distressing news. . . . . . Jack's been stepping out on you", Viola said without the least bit of remorse after she had ushered Elizabeth into the drawing room.

"What?" asked Elizabeth thinking she must have heard wrong.

"It appears that Jack has been seeing another woman. It's a good thing we found out now before things got too serious between you two." Viola explained.

" _Before_ things got too serious? Viola, I'm engaged to the man! Things _are_ serious between me and Jack. Please stop trying to cause trouble." Elizabeth turned to walk away.

"Elizabeth, I am not trying to cause trouble. I am trying to stop you from having your heart broken."

"Viola, you don't know what you're talking about. Jack would never betray me. Stop this nonsense."

"It's not nonsense, Elizabeth", Charles looked at Elizabeth with a mixture of sympathy and something else; Elizabeth thought it looked like hope.

"Yesterday, I was shopping at Right House Department Store when I saw Jack. He was at the counter purchasing a ladies handkerchief. I overheard him ordering it to be monogramed", Charles informed Elizabeth.

Elizabeth looked confused. "So what? Maybe he was getting me a gift."

"It's not your birthday, Elizabeth", Viola was quick to point out.

"For goodness sakes, it doesn't have to be my birthday for Jack to get me a gift".

"They weren't your initials," Charles said emphatically.

"I cannot believe you were spying on Jack!" Elizabeth said incredulously.

Charles ignored her comment. "I heard him tell the salesclerk that the handkerchief was a gift for a very special lady. From the way he said it, the lady was obviously someone Jack was romantically interested in. . . . It was an expensive handkerchief, Elizabeth . . .meant for a woman other than you."

"How do you know they weren't my initials?"

"I told you that I heard Jack ordering the monogram."

"Don't you want to know whose initials they were?" Viola questioned Elizabeth.

"No, I don't. I'm sure Jack has a perfectly good explanation for whatever he was doing. It's really none of your business. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think you should forget what you think you saw and stay out of my relationship with Jack", Elizabeth said coldly.

"Ahem". Charles cleared his throat as he noticed Jack and Mr. Thatcher standing in the doorway.

"Did I miss something? What's going on?" Jack asked with a frown.

"It's nothing, Jack. Viola and Charles were just trying to cause trouble. They were obviously mistaken about some things."

Elizabeth moved towards Jack, anxious to escort him away from Charles and Viola before things got ugly.

"Come on, Jack. Let's go for a walk in the gardens", she suggested.

"Elizabeth, I cannot let this deceit continue. I care about you too much", Charles said before turning to Jack.

"Jack, I have informed Elizabeth that I saw you yesterday purchasing a handkerchief for another woman. Viola and I think it's only right that she knows what kind of man she's involved with."

"You what?!" Jack shook his head in disbelief. "This is unbelievable. You two just don't stop, do you?"

"Not when my sister's happiness and reputation are at stake", Viola declared.

"Viola, stop. Just stop!" Elizabeth said angrily.

"They weren't your initials, Elizabeth!", Viola reminded her. "Jack was obviously buying a gift for another woman. Why can't you understand that he's not good enough for you?"

"He is good enough for me! He's the best thing that ever happened to me!" Elizabeth exclaimed.

"Elizabeth, we only have our best interests in mind", Charles spoke affectionately to Elizabeth.

"I highly doubt that. More likely you have _your_ best interests in mind." Jack said forcefully, his jaw clenched.

"W.D. . . . Do those initials ring a bell, Jack?" Viola scathingly asked, turning on Jack.

 _Thank goodness, Viola didn't say Faith's initials,_ Elizabeth thought with relief, and then quickly chided herself for even considering that Jack would betray her.

"Those were the initials that he was having embroidered. . . W.D. . . Perhaps you even know the woman, Elizabeth. . . . It could be Wilimenia, or Winnifred, or Wallis? ", she suggested.

"W.D.?" Elizabeth looked puzzled at Jack.

Jack turned his angry face from Viola to Elizabeth. When he saw her confusion, he raised his eyebrows at her.

"We should be grateful that Charles came upon the incident when he did. Surely you must see that this type of behavior cannot continue ", Viola declared as she watched Elizabeth.

Mr. Thatcher, who had been quiet until now, spoke up. "I agree. This is very disconcerting. Jack, do you have an explanation?", he asked, looking at Jack sternly.

Jack remained silent, but glared at Mr. Thatcher.

"Father, Jack doesn't need to give you an explanation. I am the one in the relationship with him. Now would you all please leave so Jack and I can discuss this privately?"

Elizabeth ushered Charles, Viola, and her father out of the room, and locked the door behind them. She leaned her forehead against the wood, and sighed before turning to face an angry Jack. As far as she was concerned, her family never needed to know about W.D.; that was between herself and Jack.


	3. Chapter 3 - The Shopping Trip

Chapter 3 – The Shopping Trip

"Jack, I'm so sorry. They're awful. " Elizabeth said as she turned around and leaned her back against the door. She stared at Jack across the room, watching his jaw clench in anger.

"Elizabeth, this is too much. Your family is never going to accept me, and quite frankly, I'm tired of trying to win their approval."

"It's only a little while longer. Once we're back in Hope Valley, we don't have to even think about them", she said trying to placate him.

Jack ran his hand through his hair in frustration.

"It's bad enough that they don't approve of my job as a Mountie, but now they accuse me of betraying you?!", he said in amazement.

"Forget about them, Jack."

"How am I supposed to forget about them when it's your family, and when Charles seems to be lurking around waiting for our relationship to break apart?!", he said forcefully.

"I don't know what else to do, Jack. They know how I feel about you."

Elizabeth watched as Jack gripped the edge of the fireplace mantle and took a deep breath, trying to control his anger.

Walking up behind him, she placed her hand on his back, rubbing it lightly, feeling how tense he was.

"Please, Jack, just forget about it. I'll talk to my family later. Let's just enjoy our time together."

Jack looked over his shoulder and gave Elizabeth a weary look. She didn't know if he was tired from work or tired from dealing with her family, but she didn't like seeing him this way.

Elizabeth guided Jack into a chair and started to massage his shoulders, kneading the tension out of him.

"That feels good," Jack murmured.

"You look exhausted."

"We start each day with a five mile run, then we're in the classroom all morning, . . . more physical training in the afternoon. I've been punched, rolled, thrown. My arms are killing me from pull-ups and my brain is tired from reading."

"And then you come here and are verbally attacked. I'm so sorry."

"You have to talk to them."

"I will. I promise"

"If they don't accept us, it's going to be very difficult for us to have a decent relationship with them, Elizabeth."

Jack closed his eyes and leaned his head forward. For a few minutes, he didn't say anything while Elizabeth continued to massage his shoulders.

 _He's either still really mad or he's fallen asleep on me. Not exactly how I imagined our evening,_ Elizabeth thought glumly.

"Thank you for the handkerchief", she said softly, not wanting to wake him if he was indeed asleep.

"How do you know it's for you?", he questioned, leaning his head back, his eyes still closed, enjoying her touch.

"Because I know that you love me. And I know that I'm yours, . . . your very own walking disaster", she answered, thinking of his nickname for her.

She leaned down again and gave him a soft upside down kiss on the lips.

"Maybe I have another walking disaster", he teased.

"How many other women do you know that have been the victim of a stagecoach robbery, burned down a teacherage, gotten a black eye in a fist fight between two students, had a gun pulled on them twice, once by a notorious gang of outlaws, had part of a mine collapse on them, been almost attacked by a rabid dog, and been bitten by a snake twice?"

Jack smiled. "Good point."

"It was supposed to be a surprise," he said, losing his smile and sounding dejected.

"I'll pretend to be surprised when you give it to me", she happily told him as she moved around the chair and sat on his lap.

Jack wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in for a kiss, before reaching into his jacket pocket and removing a thin box.

"You know, W.D. doesn't just stand for 'walking disaster'", he informed her, as she excitedly opened the box, revealing the handkerchief.

"It doesn't? What else does it stand for?" Her curiosity was piqued.

"Wonderfully delectable . . . . . . wickedly desirable . .. . wise darling", Jack murmured as he kissed her between each explanation.

Elizabeth gently ran her finger along Jack's lips. "You have a wonderful mouth."

"You mean vocabulary."

"That too." She quieted any further discussion with a kiss.

Outside the drawing room doors, Charles, Viola, and William Thatcher glanced at each other, wondering what was going on inside the room. If they were expecting to hear screams of betrayal, accusations, or crying, they were sorely disappointed. After twenty minutes of waiting, they finally walked away.

* * *

The next morning, the servants moved around the breakfast table sensing the tension. "Thank you, Rebecca", Elizabeth said to the young girl pouring her morning coffee.

Mrs. Thatcher looked up at Elizabeth. Those were the most words Elizabeth had spoken in her family's presence since the incident the previous evening.

After Jack had left yesterday, Elizabeth had taken dinner alone in her room, but not before she coldly berated her family. She had informed her father that Jack had not betrayed her, that Elizabeth knew W.D. very well, and that she thought that the handkerchief was a wonderful gift idea. She further informed her family that she had been mortified by their behavior.

Elizabeth had vowed never to speak to Charles again and had requested that her father keep him away from the house for the remainder of her time in Hamilton.

She was still toying with the idea of never speaking to Viola again. _Too bad I can't have her banished from the house._

"I hope you slept well, Elizabeth", Mrs. Thatcher said cheerfully to Elizabeth, attempting to make up for Viola's and William's behavior yesterday.

"Fine, thank you, Mother."

"I was mentioning to your father that perhaps you'd like to get out of the house today. The weather is supposed to be lovely. I have charity meetings all day . . . we're working on the Annual Gala. Julie will be helping me, but maybe you'd like to go shopping by yourself. You can get a new dress for the Gala, or maybe buy yourself some nice spring clothes, maybe some shoes. You can put everything on your father's store accounts."

"That sounds nice, mother. Thank you." Elizabeth realized that her mother was trying to make amends.

Looking at her father with a shrewd smile, and thinking of her mother's offer to have her father pay for anything, Elizabeth added, "Maybe I'll buy Jack a nice present."

Her mother hesitated for a split second, and then agreed that it was a wonderful idea. "Have our driver take you wherever you want to go."

* * *

Hours later, after dropping off her shopping bags at the car, Elizabeth decided to walk a bit. She had made the most of her day, and of her father's credit. She had purchased new shoes, a handbag, hair combs, and two stunning dresses. Unable to decide between the soft green or powder blue gowns, she finally bought both.

She had also gone to the finest men's clothing store in Hamilton. Jack was too busy with training to be measured by the tailor, but she had estimated his size and purchased him a tuxedo, or rather her father's credit had purchased him a tuxedo. _It's the least my father can do for his future son-in-law, especially after he's treated him so poorly._

The salesman had looked at her curiously as Elizabeth had moved her hands around in the air and tried to estimate Jack's measurements by thinking about how far her arms wrapped around him, where her head met his body when he held her, the size of his arm muscles when she watched him chopping wood. If the salesman thought her way of measuring was odd, he held his tongue and simply wrote down the estimated sizes.

Elizabeth knew that Jack would rather not attend the Gala and that he didn't really have the time, or money, to get a tuxedo himself. _I'll take care of his clothing and he can just enjoy himself at the Gala,_ she thought blissfully as she looked through the shirts and bow ties.

After hearing the name "Thatcher", the salesman assured Elizabeth that Jack could stop by at his convenience for alterations, and that they would be done in time for the Gala. Even after Elizabeth informed the salesman that Jack would be gone for the next few weeks, he had promised that they would only need a few hours for any alterations.

Walking down the street, Elizabeth stopped short when her eye caught a sign taped to the window of a small Milliner's shop. Elizabeth read the sign again, paused for a moment, and looked around the street to see if anyone was watching. Noticing no one she knew, she entered the shop, the jingling bell above the door announcing her entrance.

Twenty minutes later, Elizabeth emerged from the shop, the papers safely hidden away in her purse. If she had been seen by anyone she knew, she would merely say that she had been looking at hats. It wouldn't do to have her family know anything. The last thing she needed was more trouble with her father, and she was certain that he would try to stop her.

Walking back in the direction of the parked car, she felt excited about what she was going to do.

Of course, that was before she was arrested the next day and taken away in a police wagon.


	4. Chapter 4 -The Jail Cell

**Chapter 4 The Jail Cell**

"I'm Elizabeth Thatcher. My father is William Thatcher", a frustrated Elizabeth explained for the third time to the policeman behind the desk.

"Really, Sergeant McHenry isn't there someone else here who is in charge?" Elizabeth asked impatiently, looking at his nametag as she pushed her disheveled hair from her face.

The police sergeant handling her arrest was certainly not interested in efficiency. While Elizabeth and the other women were stuffed into a jail cell, he had taken his time obtaining statements from the men, all claiming to be victims or witnesses.

Only after the men had been interviewed, had the women been taken from the cell one by one to be to be processed. Now, the sergeant in front of Elizabeth munched on a stale breakfast roll while slowly writing down Elizabeth's information.

"But you say you're not the daughter that's marrying that rich British nobleman? I saw something about that in the paper."

"No, that's my sister."

"And you're not the one who likes to have fun and get into a wee bit of trouble. "

"No! " Elizabeth exclaimed, before adding "that's my other sister."

"Well then who are you again?"

"I'm the other daughter!"

"Never heard of you," the sergeant said in a bored voice.

"The Thatchers have three daughters! And I'm one of them!" Elizabeth said, raising her voice and feeling anxious. _Good Grief, what if I'm left to rot in prison_? She remembered that earlier she hadn't wanted her father to know what she was doing, but right now she could definitely use his help.

"Pete, how many daughters does that rich Mr. Thatcher have?", the sergeant said turning to yell at someone behind him.

"Two, . . . oh no wait, three. There's also that one that was in the paper a year or so ago for moving out west to be a teacher or something, " the officer across the room answered as he set down his coffee mug.

"Yes, that's me!", Elizabeth exclaimed, relieved to be finally getting somewhere. She realized it certainly helped to have a well-known family.

"This isn't out west, and that wasn't a schoolyard you were arrested in. Now, what's your real name, lady?"

"I told you! I'm Elizabeth Thatcher!"

Sergeant McHenry looked at Elizabeth with uncertainty, taking in her demeanor, her manner of speech, and her dirty, but expensive looking clothing.

"Why aren't you out west then?"

"I'm visiting my family, . . . the THATCHERS!"

Finally he spoke in a more agreeable voice. "Well, if you're really a Thatcher, you might want to clean up a little before anyone else sees you", he said, gesturing with his hand to her face.

Elizabeth brought her hand to her face and felt something sticky.

"Oh my, thank you", she replied as she took out her handkerchief and began wiping away congealing egg.

When she looked at the sergeant again, she sensed another shift in his attitude. He was staring at her, well not quite at her, actually more at what was in her hand.

"Alright, that's it lady! You almost had me believing you." he said angrily.

Elizabeth was bewildered. _What just happened?_

"Do I look like an idiot? Last time I checked, the initials for Elizabeth Thatcher weren't W.D." ,the sergeant said getting up from his desk and moving around to Elizabeth.

Looking at the handkerchief she was holding, Elizabeth tried to quickly explain, "It was a gift from my fiancé. I can explain. You see, he -".

"Your fiancé doesn't know your name?" Sergeant McHenry asked sarcastically cutting off her explanation.

"Of course he knows my name!" Elizabeth responded haughtily.

"Well, W.D., how come you don't want me calling your fiance' to come get you?"

"He's very busy." Elizabeth explained.

"He's busy? But your supposed father, the great shipping tycoon William Thatcher, is not busy? Your fiancé must be the King of England if he's busier than your supposed father," Sergeant McHenry said mockingly as he pulled Elizabeth from her chair and firmly escorted her down the hall.

"I'm Elizabeth Thatcher! Call my father! . . . or my Mother! . . . or my sister, . . . the one who gets into a wee bit of trouble!", she said desperately.

"We'll call when we get around to it. You can sit and cool your heels with the rest of the women in the cell while we process you all."

As much as she admired the other women in her cell, Elizabeth was not looking forward to spending any more time behind bars.

* * *

Once inside the cell, Elizabeth timidly sat on the edge of the small wooden bench, trying not to inhale the scent of urine left by former prisoners which was emanating from the corners of the concrete floor. The women themselves were beginning to carry an odor of sweat as they crowded into the cell.

Elizabeth stared at her handkerchief.

 _I love Jack's gift to me but it certainly is causing an awful lot of trouble for the two of us!,_ she thought before placing it over her nose. At least the smell of egg was better than the other smells in the cell.

Elizabeth looked around at the dirty cell, wondering how this all happened. She certainly hadn't expected to get arrested when she woke up that morning.

The morning had started out overcast, that should have been her first warning that the day would not end well.

After breakfast, Elizabeth had told her mother that she had errands to run and had hurried out of the house before anyone could offer to go with her. Looking at the leaflets and other papers in her purse, she had her driver drop her off a few blocks from the address written down. She certainly didn't need him reporting back to her family about her actions.

Everything had been going fine for the first hour until some men, who had stopped to watch and listen, started yelling insults. The women could handle the rude comments, but then one of the men threw an egg, and then another, and another.

It wasn't Elizabeth's fault that she had slipped on a broken egg and fallen against the burly man. And it certainly wasn't her fault that the burly man had then fallen into a man carrying bags of fruit, and suddenly things had become a bit chaotic; people throwing fruit, men yelling insults and laughing, women yelling back or taking cover, leaflets fluttering through the air.

She still wasn't sure how the windows had been broken on the nearby building or how the police officer had gotten punched in the face. All she knew was that suddenly she had been rounded up with other women, placed into a police wagon, and taken to jail.

Some of the women had managed to run away. Elizabeth looked at her high heels. _I should have worn my practical boots_ she thought ruefully. Other women had wanted to get arrested. Several had stood with their feet firmly planted on the ground and refused to budge. Elizabeth had been overwhelmed by all of it.

Elizabeth now sat quietly in the cell. At first, the women had been eager to talk, to angrily denounce their arrests, to be filled with bravado.

But now, hours later, they were tired and dirty with broken eggs, splattered fruit, and dirt on their clothes. One by one, the women began to leave as family members or friends came to pay their fines.

Three hours after her in-processing, an officer came to the cell and handed Elizabeth a glass of water. She looked around at the other women who were still there, wondering why she was being singled out.

"What about the other women?", she asked before bringing the glass to her mouth.

"We got a special request to make sure you were taken care of until he could get here with the money for your fine."

As much as she could have drunk the entire glass herself, Elizabeth took just one sip before passing the glass along to the woman next to her, who did the same. Each woman took one polite sip and passed it on again, each one grateful for the liquid.

* * *

An hour later, a police officer unlocked the cell and called her name. "Your fine's been paid. You're free to go."

Elizabeth paused at the cell door and looked at the few women still remaining in the cell.

"Tell my father to pay the fines of these other women also. We can all leave together."

"It wasn't your father who paid your fine. And I doubt that the man who paid yours has the money to pay for all these ladies too," he responded dismissively. "Now hurry up, I don't have all day."

As Elizabeth hurried into the front room, she saw Jack standing at the front desk talking to an officer. When he looked over and saw her, Jack's eyes first showed worry, then relief upon seeing that she was okay, then something that looked decidedly like anger.

"Jack, I'm so sorry. I had no idea -"

"Let's go. Outside." Jack took her firmly by the arm before she could say more.

Once outside, he steered her away from the police station and down the street.

"Jack, I'm sorry, really, I didn't think it would ever be -."

Jack cut her off. "Elizabeth, you weren't thinking! If you had been thinking, you would have realized how serious it would be to get involved in something like that. "

"But it was just an innocent gathering. The men are the ones that started the trouble," she tried to explain.

"Elizabeth! -" Jack stopped himself from saying more. He pushed his hair back in frustration.

"I'm taking you home. Do you think you can stay out of trouble for the rest of your time in Hamilton?"

Elizabeth didn't like his patronizing attitude, but as he had paid her fine, she didn't think it was the time to bring it up.

"How did you find out?" she asked.

"We were having a lunch break and one of the guys mentioned something about society women getting arrested. On the off chance that Julie was one of them, I called the police station. They told that me _you_ were one of the women. Let's just say, I wasn't pleased. I had to get permission to leave training early to get you out of jail," he said harshly.

They had walked a few more paces when Jack stopped and turned to her.

"Elizabeth, do you have any idea how worried I was when I heard you had been arrested? Do you know what could have happened to you?"

"I'm sorry, Jack"

"Are you okay? You weren't hurt were you?"

"No, I'm fine. At first, it was exciting, and then scary, . . . and then, well, then it was just boring sitting in jail, and I'm tired from the whole experience."

"Thank you for having them give me the water", she added.

"A favor for one law enforcement officer from another", Jack said flatly.

"I know that I shouldn't put myself in dangerous situations, but I didn't think there would be trouble", Elizabeth volunteered.

Jack remained stone cold silent.

"You weren't this angry with me when I went into the coal mine to work, and that could have been much more dangerous." Elizabeth reminded him.

"I wasn't in love with you then! And you didn't disrupt my job! And I wasn't caught off guard! If you remember, I tried to talk you out of that adventure! Elizabeth, I had no idea what you were up to today!"

Elizabeth decided it might be best to keep her mouth shut until Jack had cooled off.

They walked several blocks in silence before Jack spoke again.

"I don't think your family knows about your arrest. When I called the station, they hadn't called them yet. Apparently the police were making the calls alphabetically, so you would have been towards the end. And since they didn't really believe you were William Thatcher's daughter anyway, they didn't move you to the head of the list due to the family's importance. So, you shouldn't face your father's wrath when you get home."

"Well, there's that to be grateful for." Elizabeth gave a weak smile.

By the time they got to Elizabeth's front door, Jack's anger had largely dissipated; now he was just business-like.

"I have to get back to training. We'll talk about this later."

"Are we still going out to dinner tomorrow night?"

"We can't go out to dinner. I used my extra money to pay your fine." Jack said more harshly than he had intended.

"I'll have my father repay you," Elizabeth quickly said, trying to make amends.

"I don't want your father's money! You're my responsibility now, not your fathers!"

Elizabeth was too tired to argue with Jack that she was not anybody's responsibility but her own. _He doesn't have to make it sound like I'm such a burden!,_ she thought irritably.

"We can have dinner here tomorrow. You haven't eaten with my family since we've been in town." Elizabeth offered.

"Elizabeth, I'd rather not."

"Please Jack"

"Fine", he sighed. "But I won't have a lot of time, we're leaving early the next day for advanced wilderness training. . . . I have to get back to headquarters now. I'll see you tomorrow evening around 7:00."

Jack walked away without so much as a peck goodbye on Elizabeth's cheek. He had only gotten about 10 feet from her, when Elizabeth called out to him.

"Jack!"

He turned around and looked at Elizabeth curiously.

"I love you", she said loudly.

For the first time since he picked her up at the police station, Elizabeth saw a glimmer of a smile on Jack's face. It was only there for a moment, but she saw it.

"I love you too, Elizabeth," he said simply and honestly.

As he turned and walked away, she didn't hear him mutter under his breath in frustration, "Heaven help me because I love you too."

Elizabeth snuck up the staircase and straight to a bath. That evening when her family sat down for dinner, she sent word that she had a headache and didn't wish to be disturbed.

She just wanted to forget the whole day. She had been arrested, Jack was angry at her, and the women hadn't seemed to accomplish anything but get people mad. _Although, maybe that was a start. Sometimes people need to get angry about things . . . just not Jack_. . . . . _Hmm, Jack's actually partly to blame for this! It was his Mountie Wife Test – that question- that got me thinking!. . . Yes, I'll have to mention to Jack that he's partly to blame.. . . ._

 _. . . Actually, maybe that's not such a good idea,_ she concluded after picturing his angry face.

As Elizabeth fell asleep, she naively thought that her father and mother wouldn't find out about her arrest.

Meanwhile, across town, the printing presses were getting ready to turn out tomorrow's issue of the newspaper. The editor was especially pleased with the article that mentioned Elizabeth Thatcher.


	5. Chapter 5- Bad News

**Chapter 5 - Bad News - The Newspaper and the Dinner Party**

"ELIZABETH! GET DOWN HERE!" William Thatcher's voice boomed up the staircase.

Elizabeth had been lying in bed thinking about Jack when she heard her father yelling. She hurriedly put on her slippers and reached for her robe when the bedroom door opened.

Julie ran into Elizabeth's room, slamming the door shut behind her. She breathed heavily from her run up the staircase and leaned her back against the door as if her willpower and the door could keep out the anger of her father.

"What's happened?!" a startled Elizabeth asked.

"You made the newspaper."

"My engagement?" Elizabeth asked, eagerly thinking about the announcement.

"Your arrest!", Julie gasped.

Elizabeth quickly dressed. Before walking down the grand staircase, she took a deep breath and reminded herself that she was a strong independent woman; she had traveled out west by herself, faced outlaws, mined in a cave, and been in jail. _I can certainly face my father_.

When she saw his stern face as she entered the drawing room, Elizabeth lost some of her confidence. _My, he certainly can look foreboding. No wonder Julie never wants him to find out what she's been up to,_ she realized.

Her father angrily thrust the newspaper at her. "What do you have to say for yourself, young lady!"

Elizabeth nervously took the paper, feeling the need to sit down in a chair to read it. _Oh my!_

 _ ** The Hamilton Press**_

 **Women arrested for inciting disturbance**

T **wenty two women were arrested yesterday near the intersection**

 **of Queen and Main Streets for inciting a disturbance. The women,**

 **who ranged in age from 22 to 45, were part of a protest movement**

 **demanding the right to vote in national elections.**

 **Despite requests from police to disperse, the women**

 **refused to leave the area, choosing instead to stand in defiance**

 **and hold signs advocating for suffrage.**

 **Elizabeth Thatcher, socialite daughter of shipping tycoon,**

 **William Thatcher and his wife, Grace, was one of the women**

 **arrested. Miss Thatcher, an unmarried teacher, was loud and**

 **disruptive according to several witnesses.** **Police officers said**

 **Miss Thatcher verbally abused one of the**

 **officers by calling him a small-minded rude little man.**

 **Other women arrested included socialites, the o** **wner of**

 **a local millinery shop, and factory workers.**

 **"We believe that all adult women should have the right to vote.**

 **We plan on protesting, and supporting our fellow suffragettes**

 **across Canada, in the United Kingdom, and in the United States", said**

 **Mrs. Jacob Rothsberg.**

 **Pamphlets and literature from Emmeline Pankhurst and Elizabeth**

 **Cady Stanton were found among the women.**

 **The women were cited for littering after several of their leaflets**

 **were found on the pavement after the disturbance began.**

 **One police officer was accidentally punched in the face by Mr. Kenneth**

 **Peterson of King Street. Mr. Peterson has not been charged.**

 **In addition, several windows in the nearby "Smith and Son's Bakery" were**

 **broken.** **Some witnesses contend that male bystanders may have possibly**

 **thrown** **fruit and eggs at the women, although this has not been confirmed.**

 **No men were charged.**

 **Many of the women looked disheveled upon arrest, including socialite**

 **Elizabeth Thatcher, who had smeared egg on her face and clothing.**

 **The women were held in jail until their fines, ranging from six to ten dollars, were paid.**

 **According to police, Mr. Thatcher did not pay the fine for his daughter.**

 **.**

"This is outrageous!", William Thatcher bellowed as he stopped pacing the floor.

"Well, it certainly is biased! I'd like to speak to the editor!" Elizabeth said indignantly.

"I'm not upset about the journalism! I'm upset that my daughter was arrested and I had to find out about it in the newspaper!"

"Father, I was involved in a peaceful gathering when we were assaulted by those men! They insulted us and threw food at us!"

"If that were true, Elizabeth, the police would have arrested the men, not you and the other women", her father said dismissively.

"Father!"

"How did you get out of jail? Who paid your fine?" he asked, ignoring her fury.

"Jack paid my fine."

"And I assume that he thinks that it's perfectly acceptable for you to be arrested, like some common criminal. This is just like the Thornton family! Obviously, it is nothing for a member of that family to be arrested! Is this what I'm to expect? That you'll be like his brother, Tom, getting into trouble? . . . breaking the law ?!"

"Father! Jack had nothing to do with my arrest. He had no idea that I was going to the meeting. You should be grateful that he paid my fine!"

"Perhaps you'd be happy if I cancel any future business trips or vacation plans so I'm around to pay your jail fines?! Or maybe I should donate money to the police station so that you'll have an acceptable jail cell for future incarcerations?!"

Elizabeth ignored his sarcasm, while he stopped just long enough to take a breath before continuing his rant.

"Was it your intention to embarrass me? Your mother and I are mortified!"

"Speak for yourself, William", Grace said as she entered the room. "I'm actually quite proud of Elizabeth."

"Well done, dear. " Grace said as she took hold of Elizabeth's hand. "I admit that I have always been more interested in society gala meetings than suffragette meetings, but perhaps you have the right idea."

"Quite frankly, William, I don't see any reason why I am not as responsible as many men out there. Why they can vote and I cannot simply does not make sense", Grace added.

"Will we be seeing Jack anytime soon, dear? I'd like to thank him for paying your fine", she asked, ignoring her husband's growing irritation.

"I invited him for dinner tonight", Elizabeth responded with a smile.

"Then your father and I can thank him tonight."

From the look on Mr. Thatcher's face, the last thing he wanted to do was share his dinner table with Jack Thornton.

* * *

Hours later, Elizabeth was nervous about dinner. She knew that Julie supported her relationship with Jack, and her mother was coming around, but her father and Viola were still being stubborn as mules.

As angry as she was with her family, they were still her family, . . even Viola. Elizabeth usually loved the city life, and she wanted Jack to accept that they would be spending time here after they were married. She couldn't imagine not visiting during the summer or spending some holidays here at the mansion.

This whole trip to Hamilton hadn't gone well. Her mother had been too busy with planning the Gala to made wedding plans with her. Then Jack had put himself under a lot of pressure to excel in his training course. He had told Elizabeth on several occasions that his performance was important for advancement and for getting choice assignments in the future. There had been the incident with the Charles and Viola accusing Jack of betraying her. Not to mention her arrest. She wasn't sure that Jack was entirely over being upset with her. Elizabeth also hoped that the other Mounties didn't read the newspaper; she didn't think Jack would appreciate her name being bantered around the Force.

 _Please, let's just have a nice civil dinner,_ she thought as she waited for Jack to arrive.

* * *

When Jack arrived it was obvious that he was preoccupied. It was also clear to Elizabeth that he would be happy to get out of the Thatcher home as quickly as possible.

The dinner started badly and went downhill from there. During the first course, Lionel mentioned that he had recently visited the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto.

"I was there a few years ago, about six years after it opened." Jack noted. "I really enjoyed it. They have beautiful works. Do you prefer the works of Cezanne or van Gogh?", he politely inquired of Lionel.

"I'm a van Gogh man myself, and what about you? What type of art to you like?" , Lionel responded pleasantly to Jack.

Before Jack had a chance to answer, Viola interrupted.

"Jack, how surprising that you know about art. I would think your tastes ran more along the line of horses and criminals."

"Viola! " Elizabeth said harshly. "Jack knows quite a bit about art. He's an artist himself."

Viola scoffed. "Somehow I don't think drawing simple pictures of his horse is considered art".

Elizabeth was about to respond when Jack caught her eye and gave a slight shake of his head. She knew what he was thinking. _It's not worth it._

During the second course, the server accidently spilled red wine on Jack's suit jacket sleeve.

"It's a good thing you weren't wearing a more expensive suit, Jack. Don't worry, I'll have my staff clean your jacket," Mr. Thatcher remarked.

Elizabeth didn't miss her father's insult about Jack's attire, or Jack's clenched jaw in reaction to it.

"You will have an evening tailcoat for the Gala on the 15th , won't you?", Mr. Thatcher inquired.

Jack set down his wine glass and paused before answering.

"Is that what is most important to you about your daughter's escort, Mr. Thatcher? That he is dressed fashionably?"

Elizabeth gulped her drink as she watched her father rendered speechless and her mother quickly change the conversation. _Good for you Jack_ , Elizabeth thought.

During the third course, Julie made an ill attempt to lighten the mood by mentioning Elizabeth's arrest. Viola seized on the opportunity to insult Jack.

"I'm sure Jack is used to hanging around with criminals and family members getting arrested, but it's all quite new to us", she said lightly.

Jack remained silent, but Elizabeth noticed his grip tightening on his wine glass.

"Jack's job does bring him into the criminal element, Viola. He's a Mountie for goodness sakes! Even you must have realize it's part of his job. . . and as for his family, I think we all know that Julie was responsible for Tom's unfortunate arrest", Elizabeth said coldly.

"Only because he led her down that path", Viola declared.

"He did not! You leave Tom alone!" Julie retorted.

"I suppose it's only natural for there to be trouble in your family, Jack, . . . with you being practically an orphan. You have done a fine job with your life in becoming a Mountie".

If Mr. Thatcher was trying to compliment Jack, his comments had the opposite effect.

"My father died when I was young, but I certainly wasn't an orphan. I had a wonderful mother as well as other relatives." Jack's said through gritted teeth.

"I'm just saying that I'm sure it was hard on your mother trying to put food in your mouths", Mr. Thatcher said quickly as he noticed both Mrs. Thatcher and Elizabeth glaring at him.

"My mother was a school teacher, not a homeless beggar", Jack responded coldly before removing his napkin from his lap, and placing it on the table. Without looking at Elizabeth, he stood up and pushed back his chair.

"Thank you for dinner, Mrs. Thatcher. I'm afraid I have to leave before dessert is served."

"Jack –", Elizabeth began to protest.

"I have a very early morning tomorrow. Good night." He gave a quick nod to Elizabeth and strode out of the room.

Elizabeth threw her napkin on the table, looking at her family in disgust. "I can't believe you!", she hissed in anger.

Running into the foyer, Elizabeth stopped Jack at the door.

"Jack, I'm sorry. I thought that they would behave."

"Look, Elizabeth. I have to go", he said as he put on his coat.

"I know they were horrid to you. Come back inside and I'll have them apologize to you."

"That's just it, Elizabeth. I don't want their apology. I don't want anything to do with your family," he said angrily.

"When will I see you again?"

Jack opened the front door and scowled at the rain. "I don't know, Elizabeth. I have to leave -".

Jack turned to look at Elizabeth just as her father walked in and paused when he saw the young couple.

Jack shook his head in exasperation.

"Elizabeth, I can't do this anymore. This isn't working. I'm sorry. I just can't do this anymore." His face was grim as he turned and walked out the door.

Elizabeth moved to go after him, but her father grabbed her arm.

"Let him go, Elizabeth. You don't need him."

Elizabeth shook off his arm. "Let _me_ go, father!"

She hurried down the front steps, but it was too late to catch up to Jack. She saw him running down the driveway in a hurried attempt to escape the rain.

Elizabeth stood in the drizzle watching him disappear from her view. He had left her. Jack had run away and left her.

 _He would run away and leave her for good. She would have lots of money, but not the man_. The old gypsy woman's words echoed in Elizabeth's mind.

 **Dear Readers: I wrote the last two chapters in celebration of the 19** **th** **Amendment to the U.S. Constitution which was ratified 95 years ago. Thank you to Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucy Stone, and all the women who advocated for a woman's right to vote in the United States. And thanks to the women who advocated for women's suffrage in Canada (passed in 1918), the U.K. (passed in 1928), and elsewhere!**


	6. Chapter 6 - Young Love

**Chapter -6-Young Love**

When Julie and her mother came to check on her, Elizabeth refused to open her bedroom door. She lay on her bed, her quilt becoming soaked with tears. An hour later, her father knocked on her door. She was finally out of tears, but still unwilling to see her family.

"Please, Elizabeth, open the door so we can talk."

"Just go away, father!", Elizabeth yelled through the closed door.

It was Viola who finally got Elizabeth off her bed. Viola was surprised to hear the key turning in the door when she called out to Elizabeth. She assumed that she would be the last person Elizabeth would want to see, but her mother had insisted she apologize.

Viola didn't get a chance to say a word.

"How DARE You?! How dare you treat Jack that way?!", Elizabeth's screeching voice echoed through the hallway.

"You spoiled brat. Jack has more class than you will ever have. You will NEVER, EVER speak to him again unless it is to beg for his forgiveness!"

Viola stood there stunned as Elizabeth slammed the door in her face.

* * *

Perhaps it was because she was nervous about not having made many wedding plans yet, or perhaps it was because she was tired of being under her parent's supervision after being so independent in Hope Valley, or perhaps it was because of the gypsy's tarot cards, which she had never mentioned to Jack, or maybe it was simply because Jack hadn't kissed her before he left, but for whatever reason, Elizabeth was feeling overly emotional.

She sat at her desk, wiped the tears from her eyes, got out her flowered stationary, and wrote Jack a long letter.

Elizabeth wrote about how sorry she was that she was so much trouble; she knew that he had enough to think about without having to miss training to get her out of jail. She certainly had never envisioned that ever being a situation she would be in. She was sorry that she had made him come to dinner, and had asked him to take her to the Gala on the 15th, when she knew that the Hamilton lifestyle made him uncomfortable.

She apologized about her family; she would entirely understand if he never wanted to set foot in the Thatcher home again. She would also understand . . . she would be broken-hearted. . . but she would understand if he had second thoughts about the wedding . . . about marrying her. As she wrote that part, her tears hit the page and she had to quickly blot them up and re-write the line on another part of the paper.

She finished up by writing that she was returning to Hope Valley, that she loved him, and that he was the best thing that ever happened to her, but she would put the wedding plans on hold until he had time to think long and hard about her and what he was committing to.

 _He said we could face any challenge together, but maybe I'm too much of a challenge_ , she thought sadly as she sealed the letter in an envelope.

As she lay in bed trying to fall asleep, Elizabeth thought about their conversation in the cave. She had told Jack that she liked her lifestyle in both Hamilton and Hope Valley; that they were both part of who she was. Just a few hours ago, she thought she could have both, that she needed both. Now she realized that all she really needed was Jack.

* * *

Early the next morning before her family awakened, Elizabeth placed a note to her parents on the foyer table. She picked up her suitcase and glanced around the house one last time before quietly closing the door behind her.

Before going to the train station, she had the driver make some other stops. Elizabeth knew she wouldn't be able to see Jack, but she hoped the Force would forward her letter. As the driver pulled up to the Mountie Headquarters, Elizabeth felt a wave of anxiety, wondering how Jack had been when he returned to the Mountie office after angrily running in the rain.

The constable at the front desk looked at her curiously when she entered, surprised to see someone so early in the day. "May I help you ma'am?"

"I'd like to leave a letter for Constable Jack Thornton. He's here for the advanced training course. Can you see that he gets it?"

As she spoke, Elizabeth noticed the other Mounties in the room glance up from their work and look at her.

"Yes ma'am. Those men left a few hours ago, they won't be back for a couple of weeks but I'll make sure your letter is forwarded."

 _That wasn't so bad_ , she thought. She paused in the hallway to fix her hat and put on her gloves when she heard the laughter and comments.

"Was that Thornton's fiancé?"

"She's a looker but I'm not sure she's worth the trouble,"

"I don't know whether to admire Thornton or pity him. I heard he had to leave training early to get her out of jail."

"Try having to explain that to the commissioner!"

Elizabeth hurried to her car and gave the driver instructions to her next stop. _I made Jack the laughing stock of the Force,_ she realized _._

* * *

Elizabeth sat in the car outside the Boutique until the clerk arrived to open for business. She looked at Elizabeth curiously when Elizabeth placed the shopping bags with the unworn shoes, handbag, and hair combs on the counter, but the clerk gave her the cash refund Elizabeth requested. Elizabeth slipped the money into an envelope and walked down the street to the Millinery shop.

Five minutes later, she walked out, finally feeling good about herself. The women assured her that the money would be put to good use, helping with future fines, and other expenses for the suffragette movement. _They can certainly use it more than I need Father to buy me pretty things_.

An hour later as the train pulled out of the station, Elizabeth put on a brave face. The good thing about the long trip back to Hope Valley was that she wouldn't be jumping at her front doorbell or glancing out the window expecting Jack.

She also wouldn't be causing Jack any more trouble, she thought ruefully. He had a lot of time to think about whether she was worth any trouble at all.

* * *

By the time Elizabeth had been back in Hope Valley for ten days with no word from Jack, her thoughts were all over the place. _He told me that he would be in the wilderness, . . . maybe he never got my letter . . . maybe he doesn't know how to tell me he wants his ring back . . . maybe he's been eaten by a bear. . . .maybe I'm too much trouble for him . . . maybe he fell over a waterfall. . . maybe. . . maybe . . . maybe._

Meanwhile, the mothers of Hope Valley sat around their quilting circle wondering what was going on with Miss Thatcher.

"This one's a difficult one. Read the list again, Florence," Maureen said as she reached for another spool of thread.

"Prognosticator, Clairvoyant, Interloper, Suffrage, Enfranchisement, Apprehension, Defamation, Libel, Vexation, Atonement."

The women were baffled.

"It was much easier to figure out her thoughts when Rosemary LeVeaux came to town. Oh my, remember the words that week. . . perfidy, treachery, misrepresentation?!"

The women laughed as they remembered Elizabeth's past vocabulary lists.

"Well, I'm going to have to tell Samuel that he'd better study. No more guessing at test time. Ever since the engagement, if he hasn't known a definition, he's just been writing down something to do with marriage or romance."

"Haven't they all," Patricia said with a chuckle.

"And usually they've been right," Sarah noted, as the women all smiled and laughed in agreement.

Finally, when the students had had enough of Elizabeth's preoccupation, and Abigail was tired of her pacing the floor, and Mr. Yost was annoyed by her constant pestering to see if she had received a letter, the telegram arrived.

Mr. Yost came by personally to deliver the telegram. As he handed it to Elizabeth, he paused uncomfortably as if he wanted to say more.

"Yes?" Elizabeth said as she slowly reached to take the telegram from his hand. Now that she had finally received a telegram, she wasn't sure she wanted it.

"It's none of my business. It's just. . . . " Mr. Yost hesitated before handing her the telegram.

 _Mr. Yost's read the telegram. Jack has ended things_ , she thought.

Her heart dropped at the idea of Jack breaking their engagement. She knew that she had written to him that she was going to stop planning the wedding until he had time to think, but _what if he doesn't want any more time, what if he wants to cancel the wedding entirely_?, she thought, looking stricken.

"Well, it's just that I like the Constable, . . . and you too ma'am", Mr. Yost began before hesitating again.

"Go on. What did you want to say?" Elizabeth responded.

"Like I said, it's none of my business, but if . . . oh, never mind."

"Please go on, Mr. Yost. I'd like to hear what you have to say _."_

 _I already know it's all my fault. The whole town is properly wondering how I could be so stupid as to let someone as wonderful as Jack get away. They're probably wondering how he put up with me as long as he did,_ she thought blinking back tears.

Finally, Mr. Yost spoke.

"It just seems to me that the Constable should use letters and the postal service to communicate. I know that telegrams are faster but they are much more expensive than a stamp, Miss Thatcher. You know, each word costs money in a telegram. Like I said, it's none of my business, but I hate to see a nice couple waste money because they don't think about these things."

 _Oh, for goodness sakes! He's talking about the cost of telegrams over letters when I have an engagement to worry about!_

"Thank you, Mr. Yost. I'll keep that under advisement", she said as she hurriedly ushered him out the door.

Elizabeth quickly opened the envelope and pulled out the telegram.

 **RECEIVED YOUR LETTER. WHAT IN THE WORLD?! STOP BEING SILLY. I LOVE YOU. KEEP PLANNING. WILL BE IN HAMILTON ON THE FIFTEENTH.**

Elizabeth's shriek of joy brought Abigail from the kitchen. She found Elizabeth hugging the telegram to her chest and hopping up and down.

"He loves me! We're still engaged!"

Abigail shook her head and went back to the kitchen. _Young love_.

As Elizabeth fell asleep looking at her engagement ring, she was so happy that she didn't even think about the trouble with her father or Viola, or even about the gypsy's fortune-telling.

She wouldn't have slept so peacefully if she knew that the old gypsy woman was never wrong when she read her tarot cards.

 **Dear Readers, there is just one chapter left. If you've read my other vignettes, you have probably realized that the last chapter always brings everything together. Does Jack return on time for the Gala? Does he return at all? Find out in Chapter 7.**


	7. Chapter 7 - The Gypsy's Predictions

**Chapter 7- The Gypsy's Predictions**

Elizabeth glanced at the clock. It was 5:15 pm, time to leave for the Gala. All day, she had expected to hear from Jack; a phone call, a note, a telegram, anything. Finally, when she hadn't heard from him by 3:00, she had a messenger take his Gala invitation and a note to Mountie Headquarters.

She had explained in the note that the Clothier would wait until 4:00 for Jack to show up for a fitting. If he wasn't there by then, the store would deliver his tuxedo, complete with a shirt, bow tie, and cufflinks, to Mountie Headquarters _._

 _I hope it fits. Goodness knows, I've touched his shoulders and chest enough, I should know his size,_ she thought to herself. _Please fit!_

She certainly didn't need Jack to feel uncomfortable in an ill-fitting suit or for Viola to ridicule him. Elizabeth's family had been making every effort to be pleasant to her since her arrival the previous day, but she still didn't trust Viola to be friendly to Jack. Elizabeth tried not to think about the fact that Charles would also be at the Gala, looking for an opportunity to disparage Jack.

As she put on her jewelry and looked at herself in the mirror, Elizabeth barely admired her reflection. Hours earlier when she had finally decided on the soft green gown, she had smiled in anticipation of Jack seeing her this evening. But now, she didn't care what she looked like; she just wanted to see Jack. She hadn't had any word from him since his one telegram in Hope Valley.

She was beginning to fret that he wouldn't show up. Pulling on her long white gloves past her elbows, she worried that he could have been delayed, injured, or worst of all, he could have changed his mind about her and simply have decided to stand her up! _Okay, so maybe standing me up isn't worse than being injured, but it's still pretty bad,_ she thought.

For a fleeting moment, she wondered in panic if maybe he had met someone else. She had to remind herself that he had spent the last few weeks in the middle of the wilderness without a bath so it was extremely unlikely that he would be courting someone new.

* * *

By 6:00 pm, Elizabeth was standing in the receiving line. She had informed her family that there was no reason that she had to be in line, but Mrs. Thatcher had reminded her that the Thatchers were Chairs of the event and it was only proper that they, including Elizabeth, receive the guests.

Twenty minutes later, Elizabeth's hand was tired from greeting people, and her neck was beginning to hurt from continuously straining to see if Jack was coming in the door.

The Gala was high society's event of the season, and everyone who was anyone was attending. The line seemed to go on forever. Elizabeth was thankful for the cool breeze that was blowing through the open windows of the room or it would have been stifling with the heat from the lights, hundreds of candles, and the crowd of people.

Elizabeth thought she received several curious looks from some of the attendants. A few of the women gave her large smiles, and one young woman gave a conspiratorial squeeze of her hand.

When Elizabeth looked utterly confused at the hand squeeze, Julie leaned towards Elizabeth and said quietly, "They've all read about your arrest. It's been the talk of the season."

After hearing that, Elizabeth tried to pay a little more attention to which guests looked at her critically and which gave her smiles as they passed through the line.

Suddenly, Elizabeth heard his voice. There he was, just a few steps away, moving down the receiving line! Jack's jaw was firmly set as he formally shook hands with Elizabeth's father.

Now he was moving closer to her, standing in front of her mother. He had yet to look at Elizabeth.

Elizabeth noticed that his tuxedo fit him perfectly. His hair was a bit longer than it had been just a few weeks ago, and his freshly shaved face had a warm glow from being outside for days at a time. He looked so handsome, her heart began to pound and she suddenly felt nervous.

"Good evening, Mrs. Thatcher", Jack said pleasantly as he took her mother's hand.

"Jack, I'm so glad you could make it", Mrs. Thatcher responded. Elizabeth noticed that her mother actually seemed pleased to see him.

"Thank you, Mrs. Thatcher".

Jack moved down the line and was now taking her sister's hand. Although he had been pleasant to Mrs. Thatcher, his eyes were unforgiving as he looked at Viola.

"If you'll excuse me, Viola. I'd like to greet my fiance now", he said coldly as he dropped her hand and moved in front of Elizabeth.

"I believe she may need a little reassuring as to how much I love her", he said with a smile as he looked at Elizabeth.

Jack smoothly moved closer to Elizabeth and before she knew what was happening, he had pulled her into a deep kiss. She heard gasps from people around her, but she didn't care. His mouth was delicious. When he finally pulled away, she was breathless.

Without another word, Jack winked at her and continued down the receiving line, taking Julie's hand.

"Good evening, Julie, how nice to see you again."

"You can greet me like that too, if you want", Julie giggled.

Jack chuckled. "Sorry to disappoint you, but I only kiss one woman."

As Elizabeth tried to regain her composure, a delighted middle-aged man who was in line behind Jack took her hand. "I say! Do we all get to greet this young lady like that?"

"Not if you value your life", Jack replied, as he sternly looked at the man before moving down the line.

The man laughed nervously but quickly dropped Elizabeth's hand and moved on.

As soon as the last guest had been greeted, Elizabeth sprinted from the receiving line to find Jack.

* * *

The evening turned out to be wonderful. Dinner was apparently delicious, but neither Jack nor Elizabeth ate. Before the first course was even served, they found a broom closet which afforded them the perfect amount of privacy.

"I'm taking off your gloves. I want to feel your fingers in my hair", Jack quietly informed her, as his mouth roamed slowly down her arm.

His lips were warm and sensual as he kissed the skin left bare as his fingers unhurriedly began to push down her long white glove. He took his time, tantalizing her.

Every few moments, he would return his lips to hers and kiss her passionately, before returning his attention to her arm. When he ran his tongue down the inside of her elbow, a tingling went through her body.

By the time he had finished taking off one glove, Elizabeth didn't think she could contain herself much longer. He gave her a deep lingering kiss before he moved his mouth to her other arm, beginning at the top and slowly making his way downward.

"I am so going to enjoy being your wife", she sighed as she closed her eyes and leaned her head back, enjoying the feel of Jack's warm lips moving on her skin.

Elizabeth didn't realize she had spoken aloud, until Jack suddenly stopped at her words. She sensed a shift in his demeanor.

Opening her eyes, she looked at Jack in the dim light coming in from under the door. Jack stepped back slightly and gazed at Elizabeth.

"I'm so sorry, Elizabeth. I never meant to hurt you", he said in an apologetic tone.

"I was shocked when I got your letter. . . Sweetie, I couldn't handle any more of your family that week, but I had no idea you would even think that I would consider ending our engagement. I would never end things with you. I love you."

The music from the Gala drowned out the clattering sounds as Elizabeth proclaimed her love for Jack and launched herself into his arms again, causing him to stumble backwards and knock over several brooms and mops.

He chuckled as he regained his footing, and pulled her into a kiss. "I've missed you."

* * *

Just after the dessert course was served in the main room, a servant opened the broom closet door and was startled to see the elegantly dressed couple, sitting on the floor in an embrace.

"We were just checking out your brooms. Very nice. An excellent selection," Jack said with a serious face to the servant, as he reached out his hand to Elizabeth and gently pulled her to her feet.

Elizabeth giggled as she let Jack lead her out of the closet and to their table. _I don't think I'll ever look at broom closets or long gloves the same way again_ , she thought happily as Jack smiled at her.

* * *

The next afternoon was unseasonably warm, and they sat at an outdoor Café, sharing an ice cream sundae.

"Did you have a good time last night at the Gala?" Elizabeth asked as she took a spoonful of whipped cream.

"I had a wonderful night at the Gala. I don't have any idea what the Gala was for, and I don't have a clue what was served for dinner, but the company in the broom closet was very enjoyable", he said with a smile.

Elizabeth giggled.

"Did you like my dress?", she asked, fishing for a compliment.

"I loved you dress. You were the most beautiful girl in the broom closet."

"Jack!"

Jack looked at her seriously. "You were the only girl I saw all night. You were the most beautiful thing there."

He smiled when he saw that his words had their desired effect.

"Thank you", she said, clearly pleased. "You were quite handsome yourself."

"I was actually surprised as to how well my tuxedo fit. It was perfect. How in the world did you manage that?"

"Well, I . . . well, let's just say all that kissing and hugging we've done was quite useful", Elizabeth answered with a shy smile.

"Speaking of clothes, I noticed that you're wearing red today. In fact, I'd say that it's the exact same shade of red as my uniform. If I weren't such a modest man, I would think you bought it while thinking of me." Jack said with a grin.

"I told you once before that the color red suits you." Jack added when Elizabeth didn't respond.

"Uh, huh", Elizabeth said in a distracted manner, looking over Jack's head.

She turned in her seat to look to the right and then quickly looked down.

"Elizabeth, are you even paying attention to me?"

"Jack, that's the man!", she hissed.

As Jack moved to look around, Elizabeth grabbed his arm.

"Shhh, don't look. That's the man in the Wanted poster!"

"Elizabeth, what are you talking about? . . . and I have to look now."

"Okay, look carefully. The man with the dark brown hair standing by the lamp post. He just walked by our table. He's wanted for bank robbery."

"Elizabeth, are you sure?", Jack asked skeptically.

"Yes, I'm sure! It's the man with the beady eyes in your Wanted poster," Elizabeth insisted.

"Elizabeth, you barely glanced at the Wanted posters on my bulletin board", Jack said dismissively.

"Jack, I stared at him for hours!"

"Hours?" Jack raised his eyebrows.

"Yes, hours!", she hissed.

"I saw his poster for the first time at your office. But his poster was also at the jail here. Right outside my cell. It was the only thing to look at when I was locked up for hours. He's wanted for bank robbery."

Jack looked at Elizabeth and then took a casual glance at the man.

"Jack, it's him. I know it's him. I would know those beady eyes anywhere. I was so bored that I practically memorized the wanted poster. He has a scar on the left cheek and a mole under his right eye. His nose is slightly crooked. He's robbed banks in Ontario and Windsor. There's a $3,000 reward for him."

"Stay here, Elizabeth. I'm going to approach him. If it doesn't look like he's cooperating or if it looks like I need help, I want you to go to the police station down the street and tell them what's happened."

"Be careful, Jack!"

Elizabeth watched anxiously as Jack approached the man. She couldn't hear what Jack said, or the man's verbal response, but the man clearly became nervous.

Suddenly, the man swung a fist at Jack, who ducked just in time. Before Jack could stop him, the man grabbed a nearby garbage can and threw it at him.

Elizabeth jumped up from her chair and ran towards the police station as Jack chased after the man who was now racing down the sidewalk.

* * *

As she entered the police station, Elizabeth barely paused to catch her breath before her words came rushing out in a confused jumble.

"There's a wanted man who just got ice cream! I was staring at his face for hours! He's being chased by my fiancé'," she gasped.

"Why are you just standing around?! Go help my fiancé!", she screamed as several policemen stared blankly at her.

"Ma'am, could you explain that again?", the sergeant at the front desk asked in a bored voice as he looked at her.

 _Oh my goodness, it's Sergeant McHenry, the sergeant who didn't believe that I was William Thatcher's daughter!,_ Elizabeth realized with frustration.

Elizabeth ran over to the Wanted poster and tore it off the wall. Holding it up for all the policemen to see, she spoke to them as if they were her students.

Elizabeth took a deep breath and in her firmest voice, explained, "My fiancé is a Mountie, Constable Jack Thornton. He is chasing _this man_ down the street. They were just in front of the Cafe and are heading towards the market. _This man_ is wearing a white shirt and brown slacks. Constable Thornton needs your assistance. Now Go!"

Something in her demeanor caused the men to grab their weapons and run outside.

 _Thank goodness I have experience instructing all those unruly kids in school,_ she thought as she breathed a sigh of relief that the men were going to help Jack.

Elizabeth followed the policemen outside and watched as they headed in the direction of the market. Not knowing what to do, she decided to go back to the Cafe to wait for Jack.

She was just turning a corner, when the bank robber came barreling towards her from a side street. Elizabeth could see Jack following a block behind him.

"Stop, thief!" she screamed.

Elizabeth stood there like a barrier, her arms stretched out in an effort to block the way. The people walking near her stopped in surprise, unintentionally blocking the remainder of the sidewalk. She watched as the man from the Wanted sketch stopped, looked startled and confused, then abruptly turned and ran away from her . . . straight into the arms of Jack, who quickly tackled him to the ground.

* * *

As the policemen arrived and took the thief away in handcuffs, Jack looked over to Elizabeth who was now smiling and gleefully bouncing on her heels.

"You're mighty happy there", Jack said curiously.

"The man in the sketch has run away from me into someone else's arms!", Elizabeth announced joyfully.

"I know. I was here", Jack said humorously, thinking that her word choice was rather odd.

"And I never have to see him again!"

"Okay", Jack agreed, giving her a strange look.

"And I'm wearing red clothing!"

"Yes . . . I know that too . . . Are you feeling alright, Elizabeth?" Jack wrinkled his brow and stared at her.

"Um, yes. . . . Well, it was just . . . exciting. That's all."

"You're a very interesting woman, Elizabeth", Jack said as he gave her a questioning look and took her arm.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Just perfect!", Elizabeth said with a smile as she squeezed Jack's arm affectionately.

* * *

The next morning, Jack and Elizabeth walked through the city enjoying their last few hours in Hamilton together. Jack would be going to Cape Fullerton for the final week of training, and Elizabeth had a ticket for the afternoon train back to Hope Valley.

"I told you I could handle a dangerous criminal", Elizabeth said smugly to Jack as they talked about yesterday's events.

"You certainly did. The men at the Force were very impressed when they heard how you helped capture the bank robber." Jack said as he helped Elizabeth around a puddle in the sidewalk.

"Were they really?" a very pleased Elizabeth asked.

"They were. They said that I was engaged to the prettiest, most observant criminal they had ever seen."

"Jack Thornton!" Elizabeth stopped in her tracks and put her hands on her hips.

Jack laughed and put his hands on Elizabeth's waist, drawing her to him. "And every one of them is jealous of me", he said softly as he kissed her on the cheek.

Elizabeth smiled at his kiss. "You know, it's all your doing. It's because of the handkerchief."

"The handkerchief?", a surprised Jack questioned.

"If you hadn't given me the handkerchief, Sergeant McHenry wouldn't have thought I was lying about who I was, and wouldn't have kept me locked up for so long, and I wouldn't have been staring at the Wanted poster memorizing it!"

Jack grinned. "You are the most amazing woman I know".

Elizabeth hesitated for a moment before asking a question that had been on her mind since her arrest.

"So I didn't ruin your career? My getting arrested won't hurt your chances for advancement?"

Sensing the worry in her voice, Jack gave her a reassuring squeeze.

"You didn't ruin my career. Quite the opposite actually. My record looks pretty amazing seeing as I managed to capture a notorious bank robber, who had been eluding law enforcement for months. And I managed to do it while I was off duty enjoying ice-cream with a beautiful woman."

Elizabeth beamed at Jack's words and added a spring to her step.

"What are you going to do with the reward? You got lots of money for helping to capture that man. Should I expect to see some new dresses?", he asked as they walked.

"Actually I have some other plans for it"

Elizabeth informed Jack that she was going to repay him the money he spent on her fine, and she was donating some of the money to the Mountie fund for injured Mounties and their families.

"I have a check for the fund in my handbag".

"And some is going to help support women's suffrage. . . . You don't mind do you?", she asked somewhat hesitantly.

Jack smiled and squeezed her hand.

"Elizabeth, I'm not opposed to you voting, I'm opposed to eggs getting thrown at you and you being in dangerous situations."

Elizabeth smiled back. _Thank goodness, because I was going to donate it whether he approved or not,_ she thought.

"I know what you're thinking", Jack said with a grin.

"What am I thinking?"

"That you're going to donate the money to the suffragettes whether I approve or not".

Jack chuckled when he saw Elizabeth's reaction.

Elizabeth blushed and avoided looking Jack in the eye. _My heavens! How in the world does that man know me so well?_

"I also know that in 1869, Wyoming became the first U.S. territory to allow women to vote, and in 1893, New Zealand became the first country to allow all women to vote," Jack added.

"How in the world did you know that?", a stunned Elizabeth questioned.

"I've studied about suffragettes."

"When?!"

"When I saw how cute they were," Jack answered with a grin, looking at Elizabeth.

If they weren't in public, Elizabeth would have happily launched herself into Jack's arms for a kiss.

"So, you're not keeping any money for yourself?", Jack inquired.

"I'll keep some for our future. And I might keep some to buy you something special", she hinted.

"And I might keep a little for myself. But with the two of us being so good in law enforcement, I'm sure we'll earn more reward money in the future," she said confidently.

Jack threw back his head and laughed. "I cannot wait until you are my wife".

"I won't be too much trouble? I won't drive you crazy?"

"Sweetie, it's too late for that. You drove me crazy a long time ago", he grinned.

". . . . and you are trouble, . . . and infuriating, and stubborn. . . and independent, smart, . . .good-hearted, . . . fun, beautiful, and . . . . . . . you are the most incredible thing that's ever happened to me".

He softly whispered the last part as he stopped her in the sidewalk and kissed her gently on the lips. It was so sweet and tender that Elizabeth wished they were alone again.

At the corner of Elm and Sixth Streets, Elizabeth handed a check to Jack and asked him to drop it off at the Mountie office while she ran a quick errand.

After he gave her a kiss on the cheek and walked away, Elizabeth waited a moment to make sure that Jack was out of sight. Her heart began to race.

 _I can't believe that I'm doing this,_ she thought before heading in the opposite direction.

* * *

After Jack had dropped off the check at the Mountie office, he made his way down the bustling morning sidewalks. Walking past Right House Department Store, he paused for a moment before turning back, pushing open the door, and going inside.

The salesclerk at the counter smiled when she recognized him.

"Back again. Did the young lady like her gift?"

"Very much. I'd like to buy another one please."

"Wonderful. The same monogram? I think I still have your order form on file."

Jack smiled. "Actually, a different monogram."

"Oh?" the saleslady looked curiously at Jack.

"T.O., the initials on this one should be T.O."

As he finished his purchase and walked away from the counter, the saleslady made a disapproving tssk sound. " _Two_ ladies, and he had seemed like such a nice gentleman", she said to the other clerk.

Jack chuckled as he left the store, wondering how long it would take Elizabeth to figure out this monogram.

* * *

Walking down the street, Elizabeth looked around to make sure that she didn't recognize anyone. Seeing no one, she turned and quickly headed down a side alley. Reaching the main wider street, she anxiously walked past stall after stall.

Twenty minutes later, a very happy but extremely flustered Elizabeth fumbled in her bag for money to pay the woman. She didn't even bother to count out the correct amount, but just thrust a handful of money at the woman. Elizabeth's feelings were a jumble of joy, nervousness, and disbelief.

As she climbed down from the gypsy's wagon, Elizabeth paused to compose herself at the bottom step.

 _Oh my goodness! . . . ._

 _There's no need to tell Jack until after we're married . . . . ._

 _Good grief ! ! . . . . . ._

 _Six children?! . . . . ._

 _And most of them boys?!_

For the first time ever, Elizabeth felt that she might actually need to drink a glass of vodka.

 **The End of Vignette Four**

 _ **Dear Readers,**_

 _ **When I write the vignettes, I imagine watching the scenes unfolding on television. I hope you can picture it as well.**_

 _ **I'd love for you to let me know your thoughts and your favorite parts. Thanks to everyone who posts reviews; I appreciate them all and they motivate me to write more. Check out the next adventure with Jack and Elizabeth in Vignette Five - Blind Faith.**_

 _ **Also, for you avid watchers of the television show, I'm hoping you can figure out "T.O."!**_

 _ **P.S. Do you remember when, in the television show, Jack first told Elizabeth that she looked good in red?**_

 _ **P.S.S. Thanks to my New Zealand reader for the information!**_


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